Home > Trip Reports > June 21, 2014, - Eldorado Peak

June 21, 2014, - Eldorado Peak

6/21/14
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
6623
8
Posted by Lowell_Skoog on 6/21/14 1:49pm


View from the summit of Eldorado Peak.


Good skiing at Eldorado Peak today. I left Seattle at 4 a.m. and found just one other car in the parking lot when I arrived.

The upper boulder field has more snow than usual for this time of year and you can ski several hundred vertical feet lower than last year at this time. A bit of recent snow made the upper mountain very clean and white and eliminated any stickiness in the snow.

I ate lunch on the summit (nobody around) then started down a little before noon. Good skiing all the way back to the Roush-Eldorado divide.

A couple other skiers were just reaching the Inspiration plateau when I skied down. Several other parties were coming up with overnight packs. Overall, a fairly quiet day for a sunny Saturday.

This will probably be my last ski day of the season, since school is out and it's looking like a busy family summer.



Ski tracks on the Eldorado Glacier slope.

Did you find decent corn? I was doing some climbing in Boston Basin on thursday and was post-holing through isothermal mush, particularly above 7k. I had thought that it would be pretty heavy for skiing, and that the area needed some sun/clear cycles before I wanted to go back.

Yes, I found good corn starting from the summit a bit before noon. There was a good freeze Friday night. And the recent snow I mentioned made the surface nice.

No guarantee that what I found on Saturday is still true today. I think the key to good snow is to get up early so you can ski early. I was moving pretty quickly.

Thanks for the snowpack update!

Good idea Lowell.  Has this become a tradition of yours?  It seems you visit Eldorado around the solstice each year. 

A perfect spot in my mind for the longest day of the year.  I may see you out there one June day :)

Nice tracks Lowell, if you don't get out again, that looks like a perfect way to close out the season.

author=danpeck link=topic=31954.msg134460#msg134460 date=1403556898]
Has this become a tradition of yours?  It seems you visit Eldorado around the solstice each year. 


It's the best kind of tradition, I think. Not something I do because the calendar says so, but because the place just keeps drawing me back. There's something about being among the glaciers up there, even for a day.

Lowell. I know exactly what you mean. That place is a sacred place. I feel the call.

Nice trip and write up Lowell. Especially like the shot of your tracks.

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